A court in Sanliurfa has decreed that eight rights activists and members of professional associations were in their right to criticise the publication of an Internet memorandum by the General Staff on 27 April.

After the Gündem newspaper has been closed for 15 days for spreading terrorist propaganda, a heavy penal court in Istanbul has decided to close the Güncel newspaper, which it sees as Gündems continuation, for 12 days.

It was the 21st anniversary of the Human Rights Association but predictably, there was no cause for celebration. President Yalcindag reminded the press of the many losses the IHD has sustained in its campaigns for peace, democracy and human rights.

When one looks at pre-election promises, mainstream political parties are suddenly keen to promise a new, more democratic constitution. The track record of the current government and other parties suggests that many of these promises will not be kept.

Reporters Without Borders have been monitoring the Hrant Dink murder trial, the first hearing of which was on 2 July. After a letter of suspect Uzundal to the prosecution has become public, the NGO still calls for an urgent investigation

So-called honour killings still appear in the news with alarming regularity. The very fact that they are called honour killings in some way apologises the crime. According to the UNFPA, 5,000 women are killed every year.

Despite an ECHR decree condemning the treatment of conscientious objector Ülke, Turkey insists on prosecuting him. Promises to the European Council to change legislation have not been kept.

An administrative court has decided that the Internet warning published on the General Staff website during the night of 27 April was a press release. The complaint has been referred to the Ministry of Defence.

After an article on pre-election opinions in Batman, a south-eastern province, was published in the Gündem newspaper on 12 July, an Istanbul heavy penal court has closed the newspaper for 15 days.

According to writer Sen, the concept of a professional army serves less the fight against PKK terror, but more Turkeys bid for regional dominance by protecting the flow of global capital in the Middle East, the Caucasus and in the Balkans

Although it is likely that several independent candidates in Van will get enough votes to enter parliament, many people are still betting on candidates with tribal connections. Van is a poor underdeveloped province with high unemployment.

Three journalists of Agos newspaper, previously run by murdered journalist Hrant Dink, have a court hearing again this week. Hrant Dinks son Arat Dink, Serkis Seropyan and Aydin Engin will appear in court on 18 July.

Local journalists in Diyarbakir and Bursa have evaluated the election campaigns there. Independent candidates stand a good chance in Kurdish Diyarbakir, while nationalism is on the rise in Bursa.

A gold mine using cyanide in its extraction process has been poisoning thousands of people in the province of Usak since last year. A court has decreed that the mine be closed.

Academic Baskaya and politician Sarisozen agree that the nominally social democratic CHP and the nationalist MHP are increasingly similar in their political discourses. The CHP creates fear in order to ensure its hold on power.

Independent candidates of the left Uras and Oran are criticizing the decision of the General Staff of founding professional military units to operate in the south-east of the country by 2009: This is result of defining Kurdish issue as a security problem.

Alevites, traditionally courted in pre-election campaigns and often ignored thereafter, have published a statement in which they express their disillusionment with political parties and their support of left parties and independent candidates.

The election campaigns and the accompanying rhetoric show that many parties are exploiting an increase in nationalism. CHP, traditionally referred to as centre-left and the nationalist MHP are displaying an unprecedented degree of rapprochement.

The second quarterly BIA media report has been published, making for sobering reading. Journalists, newspapers, radio stations and television channels are still often obstructed when trying to make use of the right of freedom of expression.

The Turkey Journalists Society is awarding its Press Freedom Prize for the 19th time this year. Representive for all victims of Article 301, the prize will be awarded to journalist Hrant Dink, publisher Ragip Zarakolu and lawyer Gülcin Cayligil.